What is "harm reduction"?
Harm reduction refers to policies, programs, and practices that aim to minimize the negative health, social, and legal impacts associated with substance use. Harm reduction is also a method to decrease negative consequences from sexual activity without requiring abstinence. It can also refer to preventative policy measures regarding other risks in life like wearing a seat belt.
​
Harm reduction is grounded in justice and human rights. It focuses on positive change and on working with people without judgement, coercion, discrimination, or requiring that people stop using substances or abstain from sexual activity as a precondition of support. Harm reduction based responses are about prioritizing safety, reducing infection and other immediate health risks, and preventing toxic drug deaths. There is growing evidence that harm reduction leads to a safer and more peaceful world. ​Learn more here.
​​
Safety is a core principle of harm reduction
qCAT activities and supports include:
​
-
safe supply provision
-
peer witnessing
-
peer outreach
-
clean sweep and safe disposal project
-
Lifeguard app - learn more here
-
BRAVE app - learn more here
​​
Reducing stigma increases safety
Stigma is the disapproval of an individual or group based on perceived characteristics that are used to negatively distinguish, separate and exclude them. Stigma often takes the form of discriminatory or moralizing attitudes, beliefs and behaviours. Stigma is most apparent in stigmatizing language, which relies heavily on stereotypes to shame and belittle individuals.
​
Stigma is not only hurtful, it has real-life and potentially fatal consequences. When it comes to substance use, misuse or dependence, stigma is a significant barrier that prevents those who are struggling or at risk from accessing help. Family and friends of people who use substances can also experience and be harmed by stigma. Learn more here.
​